DANIEL 3,4:
Nebuchadnezzar is again absorbed in himself and
constructs images of himself and demands to be worshiped. The boys of Israel (Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego) refuse to follow. He demands
they be torched and then is overcome and humbled when the fire does not harm
them. He then also is troubled by
another dream and although Daniel warns him of its meaning he refuses to humble
himself before God and the dream is fulfilled and he loses his mind for seven
years. Finally he acknowledges God as
the only God and everything is restored.
1 JOHN 2:
We know that we are in Christ when we walk and do as
Christ did. If we do not then John says
we are liars. Examples are hating our
brothers and craving and lusting after the world and things of the world. "The world and its desires will pass
away but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
JOURNAL:
Pretty strong word in both cases and so true of the world
we live in. Idols and traps are
everywhere yet it isn't a king who forces us to worship it is our own
desires. We like Nebuchadnezzar refuse
to get it and keep going back to the same issues because it is just so easy to
do so. Yet as John says if we do not walk as Christ then Christ is not in us. I think this is simply saying this from a
logical perspective...if we say we worship Christ and have given our lives to
him then the life of Christ should be what is coming out of us...loving our brothers, instead of desires for the
world. John does not mix words here,
either you are or you aren't and your desires and actions give it away.
Wow, this is tough but it's the gospel and we have a
choice everyday...believe it, lay down our own ways or ignore and follow our
well worn paths to destruction. This is
why we can't do this alone. This is why
we have scripture and have each other.
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